how common is it to have coyotes come in to a turkey decoy? after I let the first two dogs come and go I have since shot 4 while turkey hunting. is it worth using a turkey call and decoy instead of a preditor call? can you do it legally?

we are over-run with coyotes south of Ottawa and five years ago there was nary a one. is the population on the upswing everywhere?

skb20

11-20-2007, 07:50 PM

this morning I was flagging and calling geese from a pit -- when I stood up to shoot... here is a coyote running full tilt - straight at pit/decoys, about 25 yards out!! Boy did he ever do the veer maneuver!! We seem to be gradually losing coyotes and gaining red fox as the valley gets more and more dominated by subdivisions and "ranchettes". Not at all a good trade relative to pheasants, ducks, and other ground nesting birds.

No real clue about the legal aspect of your question... but don't think I would really want to try to explain to a CO that I had a turkey decoy out, and was using a turkey call, with turkey season closed..... but I was really just hunting coyotes!! :hest:

Bardern

11-21-2007, 08:05 AM

yeah, I had the same reservations about using the turkey gear!

The Baron of Bufflehead

11-22-2007, 05:00 PM

It is an interesting question Bardern. Calling and decoys are both legal for coyotes, so, it might be OK. Best to run that by a CO though. Although, I would be hesitant to do that in an area you turkey hunt, because I wonder about educating the turkeys to the call/decoy in the off-season.:CF:

I know Whistler shot 2 coyotes coming at his turkey decoys last spring, and also shot one coming into his goose spread this fall. His fall story was pretty amazing, because his Dad watched the coyote form the porch and said it sat looking at the goose spread for several minutes, and then when Whistler started flagging the coyote made his mind up to go for it. Also, Whistler has been shooting prior, and still the coyote was relaxed enough to hunt.:hs: I kinda wondered if coyotes don't learn that gunfire and goose calling means easy birds in the fenceline sometime (i.e. they clean up the cripples later). On one of our trips to Saskatchewan we had a goose sail very long and when the guide went over the hill to get it (immediately after we shot) there was already a coyote running off with the goose in its mouth.

I have also had coyotes stalking the decoy spread and heard more stories from other fellas. Obviously, our local coyotes have learned to capitalize on both abundant food sources.